Zutara drabbles
by tryingtomakeapoint
Summary: Random drabbles of zutara ranging from AUs to canon
1. Chapter 1

Agni, he was tired. His back ached and his limbs were much heavier than he had remembered them to be before the day of meetings. Sometimes he wished that he could go back to when he was sixteen travelling with his friends, back to when he had felt carefree.

He was surprised when he entered his room for it to be empty, normally Katara would be washing up after a long day of Firelady duties in preparation for dinner. It was a rarity for Zuko to be finished first. With a smile he released his hair from its top knot and shook his tresses free, feeling a sense of relief.

He was changed and lounging on the bed reading some scrolls by the time Katara had rushed into the room slightly flushed. He simply raised his good eyebrow at her appearance and said nothing, knowing that a rant was brewing and that he didn't need to stir the pot.

She stomped around the room, pulling her hair loose and trying but failing to free herself of her gown.

"Do you need any help?" Zuko asked softly, immediately regretting it as his wife turned and glared daggers at him. He couldn't help but shrink back from her, yes she was his beautiful wife but she was also a master waterbender who's waterwhip hurt like a bitch.

"No Zuko, I was just going to struggle taking of this stupid dress for the rest of the evening!" she hissed out. She continued to struggle against the silky fabric she wore, letting out a few words that wasn't suited for a noble.

He watched her every move as he stood assist her. He pushed her chocolate locks to the side, exposing her sun-kissed shoulders and partially unclasped dress. Gently, he opened the rest of the offending garment then ran his hands up her smooth back to her shoulders where he began to knead her flesh. He felt her stiffen slightly before allowing herself to enjoy his tender touches.

Katara tilted her head forward slightly allowing his large hands better access. A moan escaped her lips as he hit a knot before she had a chance to stop it. He paused for a moment before continuing his menstrations as if nothing had happened.

"Why the mood?"

She sighed, "They keep going on about how the nation needs an heir and how it's my duty to provide it." She glanced at him, his brows were knitted together in thought reminding her of a toddler choosing between a toy or sweets. There was a pregnant pause as he continued working on her shoulders.

"I'm in no rush, and it's your body to decide when you want kids." He muttered softly, causing her to smile a genuine smile.

"Thank you"

Just as she was beginning to relax a knocking at the door erupted their session. Zuko moved to answer the door as Katara scurried off to their washroom to fix herself up for dinner.

Katara was ready by the time Zuko had finished speaking to the messenger. He turned to her, his grin looking much like a Cheshire Cat.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She rose an eyebrow at the Firelord.

Zuko feigned innocence before he began ranting about how he should be able to smile at his wife without being questioned for his motive. "-Anyways I should memorise all of you before your month long trip to the southern water tribe for trade negotiations." He announced rather loudly, the sly grin returning to his face.

Katara stopped dead in her tracks, he was sending her home? She would get to see her family again? She glanced at him stunned before pure joy over took her. "You didn't! Seriously Zuko you didn't!" She grinned, beginning to jump around excitedly.

"Well I suppose you don't have to go if you don't want to, I could always find another representative…" he pretended to be in deep thought, "I could send Admiral Jee to attend the negotiations in your place…" He took one look at his ecstatic wife and let out a chuckle.

The waterbender reached out to him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "Thank you so much." she whispered into his dark hair.

"Anything to make you happy." he rumbled, "But this isn't just a holiday, there is trade negotiations that you do have to attend and sign, but that'll just be for the first few days."

"Of course" she smiled

"Oh and there's one condition for you to go." he straighten, gold meeting blue with an intensity that he rarely showed. "You must send at least one letter a week so I know you're okay." He blushed slightly at his own request, Agni he sounded like a child.

"I promise I'll send you so many letters and notes that the poor messenger hawk will drop dead with exhaustion." she purred as her hand traced his jawline. "You'll be sick of them."

"I could never get sick of your letters even if I tried" he admitted softly before leaning into her, his lips barely grazing hers."I love you too much for that."

"I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

She hadn't meant for things to get so intimate between them. She had only meant to comfort him in a time of need, she hated when his golden eyes became dull with grief and his fiery attitude dampen, like a wet cloth had been thrown over it.

The moon was high when she found him sat under a grand tree glaring at nothing in particular. She didn't know what was wrong with him but he had changed in the past week. His usual brawls with Sokka had all but stopped and he hadn't eaten much in the last few days, in fact she couldn't remember if he had eaten at all that day.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly, breaking the silence of the forest around them. For a moment she thought that he didn't hear her before she heard him sigh and shift over slightly, silently inviting her to take a seat.

"I'm sorry." he muttered after she had gotten comfortable, "I shouldn't have neglected my responsibility to teach Aang firebending, I've been moping around all week when I should have been focused."

"Zuko, nobody's mad at you. We're all just worried. You've been acting strangely all week and then all of a sudden you disappear without a note." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, he looked much older than he should have, "We want to help you but we don't know what's wrong."

The fire prince was silent, much to Katara's dismay but she would wait until he was ready to talk.

"My mother disappeared eight years ago, today." he whispered so quietly that the waterbender almost didn't hear him. "She gave up her life as the Firelady to protect me from my father and what have I done in all these years? I never looked for her once during my banishment but I worked so hard to try and please my father who wouldn't have cared if I was dead or alive." His voice had began to crack towards the end of his sentence. He sniffed slightly before he furiously scrubbed at his eyes. He felt just like he had all those years ago, a lost little boy desperate for his mother's loving embrace.

Her hand instinctively went to the pendant around her neck, she remembered him mentioning his mother in the catacombs under Ba Sing Se. Did he learn more about what had happened to her during his time back in the palace?

"What happened to her?" she couldn't help herself from asking.

"My father tried to take the throne after my cousin Lu Ten died during the siege of Ba Sing Se. As punishment for his disrespect my grandfather ordered my father to kill me so he could feel uncle's pain." His tone was bitter, much like how hers had been when she spoke about her own mother's death. "To save my life she murdered my grandfather and was banished for treason." He gulped down the lump that has been forming in his throat. "I haven't seen or heard from her since, I haven't even tried to look for her."

"Oh Zuko…" she whispered. What could she say? '_Your mother will turn up eventually' _as if she was a misplaced trinket_. _After a long moment she decided that this wasn't a time for words and wrapped her arms around the fire prince. She felt him stiffen at her touch before melting into her.

They stayed in that position for what felt like hours, neither wanting to ruin the peace that seemed to have fallen over them.

She was the first one to break their silence. "You're mother loved you very much" she whispered, "None of what happened was your fault. Your grandfather and father caused what happened, not you. You were a victim." She announced her steady gaze holding his. There was a new spark of determination in her eyes, one that said that everything will be okay, that he just needed to trust the water bender and her ragtag crew.

"Thank you Katara… You've really helped me." He rumbled

Something had ignited between the pair, something that they wouldn't be able to put a finger on until after the war. There was a new intimacy that hadn't been there before. He leaned in his lips hovering over her's, just close enough for him to feel her warm breath fan across his face.

"Last time a guy kissed me he turned out to be a psychopath trying to destroy a village." She admitted sheepishly.

"Well here's to hoping that you have a better experience this time around." His usual sarcasm seeping into his deep voice.

They weren't sure who leaned in first but before they knew it their lips collided with a hunger that they had never had before. It felt like she had been trapped in the desert and his lips were a cool freshwater spring.

He pulled away first, his face as red as a beetroot. "Maybe we should get back to camp," he glanced over his shoulder, "I'm sure the others will start to look for us and I'm sure Sokka wouldn't appreciate finding us like this." He vaguely gestured at their position.

She smiled softly at him and nodded. Zuko wasn't one for affection and she knew that he would melt with embarrassment if they were found in the middle of the woods, making out like the teenagers they were.

He quickly got up before extending his hand to help her up. She eagerly took his hand and didn't let go until they reached the campsite.

**A/N yeeoow done another one kinda shit but hey ho :D**


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